The American Boating Congress (ABC) took place May 8th-10th, highlighting the bipartisan support for the recreational marine industry in Washington, DC. The industry’s economic impact, particularly in job creation, emerged as a key theme during lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. Executives emphasized the importance of issues such as domestic manufacturing, infrastructure investment, and conservation while advocating for industry priorities like renewable fuels and opposing regulations like the NOAA Vessel Speed Rule. Notably, there was a consensus among industry leaders that active engagement with policymakers is essential year-round, not just during events like ABC.
“‘We talked about one of my favorite topics, renewable fuels, and the benefits of those. We will shortly be announcing that we will be using that fuel in all of our test fleet,’ Suzuki USA executive vice president George ‘Gus’ Blakely shared with IBI, adding since relocating the US HQ operation from California to Florida, the Congressional delegation seems more aware of and in tune with boating’s concerns.
Advocacy, Blakely confessed, was something he had to learn. ‘I didn’t understand exactly what this [ABC] was all about and then I came, and I realized, this isn’t a party, this is about doing things that are right for boaters, to make sure that we have access to the water, that money is being spent for infrastructure. We brought five people from the home office and it’s the biggest contingent we’ve ever brought.'”
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